Search - The Pretender 2001 / The Pretender - Island of the Haunted on DVD

Cara B. from LITTLETON, CO
Reviewed on 4/17/2010...

I loved the whole series of Pretender. Wonderful characters to fall in love with, just wish that the movie had actually provided more closure still leaves you hanging a little.

Please Make One More Final Pretender Movie To Tie Up All Loo

Conner Macleod | USA | 03/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was ecstatic when I found out that these two films would finally be released on DVD, not only because I am a big fan of 'The Pretender' and this would be my first opportunity to see them but also because I was hoping to see this wonderful series' multiple plot threads neatly woven together into a finished tapestry.

Unfortunately there was no such luck. 'The Pretender 2001' answers a few questions of where season 4 left off but leads to even more unanswered questions. It was a very entertaining film, much in the same vein as its episodic predecessors, so it is definitely worth watching for any 'Pretender' fan.

'The Pretender - The Island of the Haunted' is even more puzzling and complex than the preceding film, which is frustrating to no end since there is no real resolve. What began as an enigmatic series headed by the altruistic protagonist and the ambiguous hunters, namely Ms. Parker, Broots and Sidney, ends up in much the same way, with simply a few more pieces of the puzzles but far from having a complete picture of Jarod and Ms. Parker's legacies. The movie itself is well directed with an eerie yet appealing ambience on the island that's riddled with mysteries, and the story is clever, as usual. Nothing is left desired acting wise, the cast delivers great performances, especially by Jarod and Ms. Parker, who hint at something beyond mere mutual respect and an unspoken comradery.

All in all, this is well worth getting as it is a slightly better conclusion to the series than the season 4 finale cliffhanger, but nevertheless, I along with all the other fans of 'The Pretender' want answers to the questions that remain from the numerous arching storylines, such as who exactly is Jarod's mother, will he ever get to spend time with her and settle down, what became of Jarod's dad, who murdered Ms. Parker's mother and why, what is the fate of Ms. Parker's newly found half brother, besides Mr. Lyle, what will happen with Mr. Parker and Brigitte's newborn son from season 4, what will happen to the Triumvirate, The Centre, as well as the new questions from both these new, final films.

I implore the producers of this excellent series to please make an ultimate film that will once and for all answer the burning questions that have haunted not just Jarod and Ms. Parker but the fans as well for so many years. I sincerely plead to both the TNT and NBC channels that they produce a fitting end to 'The Pretender' saga. Not only would this be a sound business investment given the large fan base the world over who would buy the film, but also it would please everyone who's dying to know how this amazing journey ends. Thank you for your time and consideration."

One great, one very good.

Michael A. Brown | Salt Lake City, UT USA | 12/07/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After NBC cancelled "The Pretender", reruns showed up on TNT. Between the good ratings and fan pleas, the cable net decided to make these two television movies. It was originally planned as four films, but TNT's lack of support in promoting the second led to bad ratings and therefore no further movies.

"The Pretender 2001" - Reunites the cast and creative from the series, in fact picking up where the cliffhanger of season four ends. Jarod (Michael T. Weiss) makes it a point to reveal even more disturbing facts about The Centre. At the center of everything, as always, Miss Parker (Andrea Parker) fends off her disfunctional family in her futile quest for truth. Of the two, this remained truest to the series' tone.

"The Pretender: Island of the Haunted" - While there were appearances by most of the original cast, this was a battle of wills between Jarod and Miss Parker. They find themselves trapped on a small island in New England where Jarod tracks down his long lost mother. From there, it seemed to go off in a quasi-supernatural direction which was completely foreign to the show. Since the same creative team was in place, it's hard to fault them for changing their creation. Probably with the hope that TNT would see series potential in the altered Pretender reality.

Overall, "2001" puts a nice cap on the series. "Haunted" is a worthwhile diversion for fans. Michael T. Weiss and Andrea Parker worked very well together, and "Haunted" is one of the few times they got to work face-to-face for any length of time."

Every Pretender Fans' Pipe Dream Come True

Magnolia O'Dell | ME USA | 12/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Finally! The two movies that we, the fans, made happen. After NBC maliciously cancelled the series, the fans cried out virtually with online petitions, and pleas to cable networks like TNT, USA, and more. TNT heard us, and picked up the show, and re-ran all 4 seasons of the Pretender.

***SPOILER ALERT***
(apparently not everyone has seen these movies, yet)

Then, the most amazing thing of all. . . they allowed two feature-length movies to be made. The Pretender 2001- with some of the funniest lines from Broots, and The Pretender; Island of the Haunted.

The Pretender 2001 brought all of our favorite characters back. It tied up a few loose ends, but mostly asked more questions. There were some fantastic lines from Broots in this movie, as well as some great scenes with Parker and Jarod.

Then came The Pretender, Island of the Haunted. My only complaint is that if Jarod were really on an island, standing on the shore, watching a boat take his mother (who had just been shot) away from him. . . HE WOULD HAVE SWAM AFTER HER! But there are a lot of great scenes between Jarod & Miss Parker.

It will be nice to finally have the complete collection on DVD. Seasons 1-4 have been quite lonely without the additional movies.

Perhaps (after enough people have signed the online petition at [a website that Amazon won't let me mention] ) there will be one final movie to add to this collection!

~Mags"